The present invention relates to a chat system for realizing conversation using characters, more specifically relates to a chat system having characteristics in display of attribute information of channels and a procedure for changing the channels, a chat server, a client and a computer memory product.
There exists a chat system as means for exchanging information between clients. An arrangement example of this chat system will be described based on FIG. 1. The chat system is arranged so that a chat server 1 as a host computer is connected with a plurality of clients 2 through 5 via a network 6 of a public line, and the chat server 1 transmits a message received from one of the clients 2 through 5 immediately to another clients so that conversation using characters between users who operate their clients is realized.
The aforementioned chat system displays the message, namely, a stated content and a name of the stating person correspondingly on the clients 2 through 5. Therefore, even if a plurality of users make statements simultaneously, mismatch of the stated contents and the people who made the statements is not generated on receiving sides, so it is effective for smooth progress in exchanging opinions. Moreover, since the conversation contents displayed on the clients 2 through 5 can remain as text data directly, a record can be easily created from the text data.
One embodiment of the chat system is such that one chat server is used and a plurality of channels are used. The channel represents an imaginary discourse room, and statements of another users in the discourse room can be received. A state such that the statements can be transmitted to other users is called xe2x80x9cparticipationsxe2x80x9d. Namely, users can join in the conversation in the channel by permitting the users to participate in the channel.
In the chat server, a statement received in a channel is transmitted only to other users participating in the channel, and thus the statement cannot be received by users participating in other channels, so independence between channels is secured.
In addition, this chat server is arranged so as to generate a new channel according to a user""s requirement and to permit users, who access to the new channel after the new channel is generated, to participate in the new channel.
Attribute information such as a number of clients participating in each channel, a set topic and channel mode is given to the users who accessed to the chat server. The channel mode includes a secret mode which conceals existence of the channel from the users who don""t participate in the channel, an invite only mode which permits only users who invited by the users participating in the channel to participate in the channel, and a channel key mode which permits only users who input a set password to participate in the channel.
Users select one channel based on the aforementioned information to participate in the channel. In other words, the chat system is constructed assuming that the users concentrate on the conversation in one channel.
With the spread of an Internet and intranet, opportunity to exchange information via clients has been increased, and accordingly it is required to further improve convenience of the aforementioned chat system.
xe2x80x9cCLIENT OF A CHAT SYSTEM, CHAT SYSTEM, DISPLAY METHOD AND COMPUTER MEMORY PRODUCT OF A CHAT SYSTEMxe2x80x9d (U.S. Ser. No. 08/805,779: hereinafter referred to as senior application), which has been suggested by the applicant of the present invention, is the invention which was devised in order to satisfy such a requirement, and it is an object of the senior application to provide a chat system which can be used for works in an office, for example.
The chat system of the senior application is arranged so that a user who does not participate in a channel can receive statements of users participating in the channel. This state is called xe2x80x9cregistrationxe2x80x9d. A difference between xe2x80x9cregistrationxe2x80x9d and aforementioned xe2x80x9cparticipationxe2x80x9d is that statements of users who are permitted to xe2x80x9cregisterxe2x80x9d are not received in an objective channel. Namely, a user who is permitted to xe2x80x9cregisterxe2x80x9d at a channel can only view conversation in the channel.
More specifically, the chat system of the senior application displays conversation in a channel to which a user who operates a client pays attention, more specifically in the channel in which the user participates, and conversation in a channel at which the user registers on different areas of a display screen. Moreover, this chat system provides statement means in the channel in which the user participates. Furthermore, when the statement displayed on the display screen in the channel at which the user registers is designated by using a pointing device or the like, this chat system changes the channel in which statement is possible and permits the user to participate in the channel where the statement is made.
Therefore, a user who uses the chat system of the senior application views conversation contents in the registered channel sideways and at the same time can enjoy conversation in the participation channel. Further, in the case where the user finds statements relating to an interesting topic in the registered channel, the user designates the statements using the pointing device so as to change easily the channel in which statement is possible into the channel in which the person who is making the statement participates, and thus the user can join in the conversation.
In addition, the aforementioned chat system is arranged so that every time attribute information of each channel at which the user registers, namely, information such as a number of clients registering in the channel, a set topic and a channel mode is changed, the information is transmitted from the chat server to the client which is operated by the user.
Further, the transmitted information is stored on the client side, and the information can be displayed on a screen according to an operation by the user at any time. The displayed information is often utilized for selecting a channel at the time of changing the channel in which statement is possible.
The attribute information of the each channel, namely, information such as a number of clients registering in the channel, a set topic and a channel mode is changed as the topic changes and also as the time proceeds, but in the chat system of the senior application, predetermined operations should be performed every time the information is displayed, so an improvement in convenience of usage has been desired.
In addition, when characters are used for displaying the attribute information in the each channel, for example, topics, it is necessary to read characters which are displayed for making a distinction between topics, so conversation is interrupted during a period required for the reading.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a chat system, chat server, client and computer memory product with which attribute information, a number of times of statements or amount of statements in a channel at which an user operating a client registers can be displayed on the client without an operation by the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a chat system, chat server, client and computer memory product with which attribute information, a number of times of statements or amount of statements in a channel can be displayed as images.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a client of a chat system, chat system and computer memory product with which when displayed attribute information, number of times of statements or amount of statements is designated by using a pointing device or the like, a channel relating to the designation is changed into a channel in which statements are possible.
In the present invention from the first aspect, a name of channel which is permitted to be registered and its attribute information are displayed on each client. Therefore, since the attribute information of the channel permitted to be registered which is changed as the time proceeds is displayed, a user can know a change in the attribute information of the channel permitted to be registered without performing a special operation. Here, examples of the attribute information are a topic of the channel permitted to be registered, a channel mode of the channel permitted to be registered or a number of clients of the channel permitted to be registered, and the user can know their changes easily.
In the present invention from the second aspect, a name of channel which is permitted to be registered and a number of times or amount of statements in the channel are displayed on each client. Therefore, a user can know a change in information representing animation of conversation in the channel permitted to be registered. Moreover, a discrimination can be made between the channel where the conversation is made actively and the channel where the conversation is not active, so a channel can be selected based on the animation of conversation.
In the present invention from the third aspect, the name of the channel permitted to be registered and its attribute information in the first aspect, or the name of the channel permitted to be registered and the number of times or the amount of statements in the channel in the second aspect are displayed as images. Therefore, users can easily view the attribute information or information about the number of times or amount of statements, so a difference in the attribute information and animation of conversation between the channels can be discriminated easily.
In a chat system of the present invention from the fourth aspect, in the case where designation of the displayed attribute information, number of times of statements or amount of statements in the first or second aspect is received, the channel where statements are possible is changed into the channel relating to the designation. Therefore, the users can easily understand the operation for changing channels, and thus the users feel secure.